Heh.

I love it that the weather has been warmer, but the jump in the temperature has been crazy. I start sweating before I even get into my car because it gets so hot that when I open the door there is just a rush of hot air. Also, the drivers side window doesn't work, and my passenger window was acting up today. Wouldn't be so bad, but it's humid too.  So all in all, it feels like a beach day. I want to go to the beach. Alas, I work from 3pm to almost 6:30pm every day this week in addition to my morning hours.  The beach will have to be a Saturday or Sunday thing.

Soon I will be moving from a 6:30am starting hour to a noon starting hour. Very excited about that. :-) I actually enjoy getting up around 8 am, but one thing that I have noticed about myself is that I seem to do better when I go to work immediately after getting up because then I don't have the time to think about not wanting to go to work for whatever reason.  But I like my job, so I don't know. I guess I can like my job and still not desire to go when it stands in the way of me doing something else I like.  For example, Brandy wanted to go to the beach today,and Christine called wanting to go for a walk between her internship hours. :-(

Yep.

I am so ready to be in my own apartment. I need my own space, outside of my parents living quarters. I think I just need some independence. (and a bed.I need a bed).

I guess technically I don't need it. I'm surviving now, but I would really like it. I do strongly desire it.

I heart the community group I go to on Monday nights.

Low Income/Poverty vs. Obesity

I have been reading a lot of articles and news stories that have been showing up recently that address the rising problem of obesity in America. Children and adults alike suffer from this "epidemic," and every one is offering their own solutions. For example, Santa Clara County in California thinks the solution is to ban happy meal toys so that children aren't tempted to choose the less healthy options. I actually see fast food get most of the blame, and I do think that is part of the problem. 

However, I have been struggling with my own weight since I was a small child. (I was 'dieting' as young as 2nd grade as far as I can remember), and eating out was not a regular part of my diet.  My parents only took my brothers and I out once in a while. My entire family struggled with our weight. 

I can look at all the reasons why. We weren't getting enough exercise, we ate the wrong type of food, we ate too much of the wrong type of food, we were all emotional eaters, and having grown up poor, we developed a mindset that we needed to eat everything that was put on our plate, even if we were full, because we might now have anything to eat tomorrow.   It was faulty and there was a lot that should change, but that was our experience. 

As I have stepped out of my parents guidance and have taken responsibility for my health, I have been addressing these issues one by one, and I have even been keeping an eye on new ideas to help me out.  But one thing that I have seen very little that addresses the fact that the unhealthy options, microwaved, fatty, and fried foods, are much cheaper than healthy, wholesome foods. (but maybe that is because everyone is attacking fast food as the problem, I don't know)

It cost more money to buy a bag of grapes than it does to buy a few cans of spaghetti-o's. And I can get a 12 pack  of soda for less than what it would cost me to get a gallon of milk or orange juice. 

It's just crazy if you think about it. Even in the fast food business, it cost more for me to get the salad and/or fruit and water than it does for me to get a double cheeseburger, small onion ring, and medium soda.   WOW. 

With the economy so messed up, and people having to keep a tight reign on their money, it is no wonder that the obesity rates continue to grow.    EATING HEALTHY IS EXPENSIVE!!!

I've been trying to see if there have been any studies done that link low income/poverty and obesity.  Look at what i've found. 

"While obesity rates are climbing among all ages, races and incomes, evidence shows that the poor are more likely to weigh too much than wealthier Americans." (http://www.seattlepi.com/national/190061_obesity09.html)

and 

"In King County, nearly 22 percent of adults living in households with incomes of less than $15,000 a year are obese, compared with almost 15 percent in homes pulling in $50,000 a year or more, according to an analysis by Public Health -- Seattle & King County of survey data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

(http://www.seattlepi.com/national/190061_obesity09.html)

But you know, in this very same article I was surprised to read this: 

"Between 1985 and 2000, the cost of fruits and vegetables shot up nearly 120 percent, while the price tags on soft drinks, fats, sugars and sweets increased by less than 50 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture."

And thats without mentioning the fact that outside of eating, exercise can be expensive.  Joining a gym, joining a sport, buying equipment.  Of course you don't need any of that to be able to exercise. I walk for exercise, but what if, because of my income, I lived in an area where going for a walk or run in my neighborhood was dangerous? That option for me would be closed. 

Here a few more links I found connecting Low income and obesity:

http://factoidz.com/why-lowincome-and-obesity-are-linked-together/

http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/study_low_income_equals_high_obesity

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/127/12/2310

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2004/12/02/6603.aspx

I know that it won't be a magic cure to the obesity problem, but I do think that it would help to lower the prices of healthy and organic foods, and raise the prices of foods that are less healthy.